When to Stand Apart

It is clearly a vital duty of Christians to stand apart from false teachers who deny the fundamentals of the faith. Many scriptures make this plain. But what about so-called 'secondary separation', meaning separation from believers who continue to walk closely with heretics and wrongdoers? And what about preachers who curse, or promote extreme worldliness, yet who claim to be saved? 

Here is guidance through a minefield of problems today, with help on the use of love, charity and discretion in applying the doctrine of separation. 

Extract from booklet

It is clearly a vital duty of Christians to stand apart from false teachers who deny the fundamentals of the faith. 'Do not be mixed up with them,' says the apostle Paul (see 2 Corinthians 6.14), 'Do not associate.' Full Bible references are listed at the end of this booklet. This duty has become known as the doctrine of separation. 

However, there are Bible-believing ministers and congregations who belong to apostate denominations, where people who reject the true Gospel constitute the overwhelming majority, as in the Church of England, or the Baptist Union. Sometimes evangelical ministers and clergy in these denominations can function in a rather 'independent' way, but more usually they cooperate with denominational leaders and colleagues who deny the fundamentals of the faith. In so doing, they ignore and repudiate the clear duty of biblical separation. They recognise and work with those whom the Lord called 'wolves in sheep's clothing'. The question arises - how should evangelicals who obey God's call to stand apart treat fellow-evangelicals who refuse to do so? Should they maintain full fellowship, or stand apart from those who disobey? The latter is called secondary separation.

Contents

Separation with Discretion. Page 4
Dr Lloyd-Jones on Separation. Page 5
Dr Lloyd-Jones and Billy Graham. Page 6
Spurgeon on Secondary Separation. Page 7
Separation from Worldly Evangelicals. Page 8
Separation from Rap and Rock. Page 8
'The Medium is the Message'. Page 9
Gospel Harm Texts. Page 10
Separation from Satan's Strategy. Page 11
Is There a Duty of Interchurch Unity? Page 13